Tyler's POV

At the Rhynne residence...

Today's the big day.

Zipping up the last of my suitcases, I let out a sigh and sat down on the bed just as Ellen came into the room. "I guess now's as good as ever to say our goodbyes," she said gently.

I nodded as I invited her to sit next to me. "I'm going to miss you and Alexa," I told her. "You two and Jana held me down since Sergei was revealed as one of the two people behind Derrick's murder. I'm only sad that I didn't see the signs of his deception early on."

"We all should've guessed that he and Ebony Monroe were the suspects that were working with us all while solving the case," Ellen noted. "But they got what they deserved in the end when they got struck by lightning. I'd be pissed off if they did kill off Jana and were able to get away with it."

"I'd never forgive myself if that happened."

"Back to the matter at hand, today is all about you and Jamal. You two are heading out into unfamiliar territory, even more so since there's still talk about racism going on. With the deaths of George Floyd, Amaud Arbury, and all those who died from police brutality; there's no telling what can and will happen. Promise me that you two are going to be way on who you can trust and that you're not going to do anything stupid. Me, Jana, and Alexa will never forgive ourselves if anything happened to you."

I nodded. "I promise to protect myself and keep out of trouble," I assured her. "Believe me, I do NOT want to have any more trouble with the law. As for Jamal, I know he had enough experience with prison life even though the charges against him were false. He's mainly focused on rebuilding his life as am I."

"That you are. Still, you never know who you can trust these days."

Just then my phone buzzed with a text message. I frowned at Trina's caller ID flashing on the screen. "Why is my sister texting me?" I asked dourly. "I don't have anything to say to her or my parents after yesterday."

"Maybe she wants to have one more try to get you to change your mind," Ellen commented. "You might as well read the message."

I shrugged, opening the messaging app on my phone.

I hope you're truly happy with yourself, Tyler, the message read. You're officially out of the family since your stint at the bistro yesterday. You've been cut out of the will and the Chandler, Wilcox, and Morris families have turned their backs on you. You say that you care about everyone, but all you care about is yourself with your disgusting ass being a faggot! I wish for God to kill you right where you stand. After today, my number alongside Dad and Mom's will be erased. Don't bother coming back to Georgia. You are dead to me! Bitch!

I scoffed, rolling my eyes as I closed the app and began blocking my ex-parents and sister's phone numbers. "Looks like I'm officially disowned from the family," I remarked. "Told me to never come back after today and that everyone has cut me off."

"That's their business," Ellen remarked. "They'll see that they're going to need you more than you need them. And by then, I know that you're going to come out on top and do the damn thing."

I smiled wanly as I wrapped the strawberry-blonde in a big hug. "Thanks, Ellen."

"Anytime."

"Kids, it's time to head out," I heard her father say from downstairs. "Jamal's waiting for us with the moving van at his place, so let's shake a leg!"

"Coming!" Ellen and I hollered as we gathered my bags and left the guest bedroom that was my temporary room.

There's no going back, Tyler, I told myself as Mr. Rhynne helped me load my things into his SUV. Your family disowned you after you refused to be straight and give into their needs. All you can do now is move forward and chase after the sun. And with Jamal by your side, you can finally begin your new life in Solstice Hearts.

I was sure of it.

I got in the back passenger side of the car with Ellen sitting next to me on my left. "Ready to roll?" Mr. Rhynne asked me as he got into the driver's seat with his wife sitting in the front passenger side.

I shot a brief glance at Ellen, who only nodded once. One deep breath, then, "Ready! Time to roll!"

****************

Jamal's POV

Meanwhile...

So many memories were made...

The love, laughter, tears, heartache, joy that flowed like water still lingered like a refreshing blend of potpourri. And as I took one final tour of my childhood home, I knew that Mom, Dad, and my grandparents would've wanted me to go and forge new memories as much as I wanted to stay here. Jamal posthumously made me and Yvonne promise that we would leave Atlanta to start fresh far away from the toxic memories and the sins that we were forced to commit back when Gerald and Melania had control over this city and our lives.

Now that they were dead from the pandemic after being sentenced to life in prison, there was no holding me back.

I had enjoyed a final night in the home with a small take-out dinner from the local Jamaican restaurant before sleeping the night away with an impromptu rainstorm being my lullaby overnight. And after a morning shower and cleaning up the now-empty house for the last time, it was finally time to begin the big move.

Everything that belonged to Mom and my grandparents were either given to relatives or placed in consignment shops while the furniture that I was taking with me was already loaded into the moving vans with the hired movers ready to accompany me and Tyler to the three-day journey to the Northeast.

"Mr. Oglethorpe?"

I snapped out of my thoughts as I turned to the fresh-faced female realtor who was waiting for me. "Sorry, just had a little bit of a trip down memory lane," I apologized as I shook her hand. "I take it that you're here for the keys?"

"That I am," she replied. "This house has been well-managed for quite some time. I know it's going to be hard moving away and all, but I promise you that the new family who will be moving in here will take good care of it."

"I believe you. I just hope that they based their values on honesty, love, trust, courage, and faithfulness. That's what my family believed in throughout all things and I pray that they will be able to thrive here as much as my late parents and late grandparents did."

I handed the woman the house keys just as I heard a car horn, meaning that Tyler and the Rhynne family had arrived. There was another car horn that signaled the hired movers who were driving the moving van. "I guess this is it," I mused. "No looking back."

"You're going to go far, Mr. Oglethorpe," the female realtor assured me as she walked me out of the house. "You overcame so much and became a benchmark for the late Derrick Booker's legacy. And after hearing your story, I know that you're going to have a good life. I guarantee it."

"Thank you."

I soon met with the Rhynne family as we helped Tyler load his things into my SUV just as the movers got into the loaded moving van and gunned the engine. "All right," Ellen said as she and her parents joined me and Tyler. "I guess this is it, you two. I can only wish that you two will find what you're looking for."

"You and us both," I replied. To Tyler, "Are you ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be," he replied as we got into my SUV. We watched the Rhynne family step to the side of the driveway as I gunned the engine and drove out into the sparse streets.

Waving one final farewell to Ellen and her family as well as the realtor- all of them smiling at us as they waved back; I blew the car horn twice as a sign of farewell. "So long, Atlanta!" I cheered. "Solstice Hearts, here we come!"

And just like that, the journey was about to officially begin.

YES! The journey for my boys is officially underway as they're making the trip to Rhode Island as they will soon meet Cameron and the other guys who own Pacifica West Menswear. And speaking of which, we'll soon hear from Cameron Suarez-Rice himself in the next chapter as he and his gang talk about Jamal and Tyler's life and how they hope to make them feel welcome while planning for their post-pandemic fashion line. Don't miss out!

Media: "Lettin' Go" by Janelle Monae. Dedicating this out to jacquelinestorm and wdhenning.

Vote.
Comment.
Share.
Follow.
Add.
FAN!